1930 So-Called Dollar HK-676, Boston Tercentenary

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-676) from 1930 celebrates Boston Tercentenary in Massachusetts. Community centennial celebrations followed a well-established pattern: a planning committee organized events, commissioned a commemorative medal, and distributed pieces to attendees as lasting souvenirs of the celebration. Struck in bronze, this piece combines durability with an attractive warm tone that deepens with age into a rich chocolate-brown patina. Bronze was the preferred composition for many commemorative medals due to its excellent detail retention. Over its century-long history, the Medallic Art Company produced America's most prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and presidential inaugural medals for eleven presidents. From Plymouth Rock to Bunker Hill, Massachusetts' central role in American history generated numerous commemorative medals celebrating the milestones of communities that shaped the nation's founding and development. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today. The 1930s-1940s produced fewer local commemorative medals than adjacent decades, but the pieces that were issued often carry particular historical significance as documents of community resilience during Depression and war.

Rarity Notes

HK-676 is scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Local commemorative medals from the interwar period were typically produced in limited quantities for distribution at the celebration event.

Cross References

HK-676; PCGS #643232